The Empty Children

"Such well behaved children… never a word out of them and they do just as they’re told. They seem so pale though, I wonder if they’re sick…"

Full Description

The Empty Children seem to be ordinary children, somewhere between the ages of four and nine. At first glance, the only odd thing about them is their incredible paleness. However, after spending a little time around them, one begins to notice other slightly unnerving aspects about them.

They never speak, and their complete obedience is odd enough for anyone of their age to excite comment. They do not play, either amongst themselves or with other children, unless they are asked or told to do so by someone else. When they *do* play, they do so very badly, as if they do not know how.

They are very cold to the touch, and if they get hurt, they don’t seem to notice it. If they recieve a cut or something similar, they do not bleed.

The Empty Children are an experimental form of undead created by the necromancer Edrea Solon. She created them from children she killed at her orphanage. She has developed a way to keep the bodies preserved in a state relatively close to life and does not interfere with necromantic magics, and makes judicious use of it. (It makes it so much easier to hide them when they don’t look undead, and they don’t drip all over the floor.)

Empty Children primarily find use as spies, saboteurs, thieves, and assassins, since no one would ever suspect a child of such things. Edrea does a profitable (but by no means steady) business supplying some of her associates with Empty Children specifically for this purpose. There are, however, a few unscrupulous or terribly unbalanced wealthy people who somehow come to Edrea’s notice; through convoluted channels, she provides them with "perfect children" to bolster their image or "returns" beloved children who died.

Additional Information

Empty Children will follow any order or request completely and without hesitation. They are intelligent, but lack any sort of free will. They can and do find the best way to carry out their current orders, but they will do as they’re told. They are unable to speak, but can be taught to read and write, which is how information is passed from an Empty Child to their master.

The only sound Empty Children are capable of making is a sort of heart-wrenching wordless crying. They do not do so unless ordered to- for example, an Empty Child used as a spy will often be ordered to cry if detained; very few people can stand up to such an assault. However, if any one is paying close attention to a crying Empty Child, they will notice there are no tears. This is the most effective form of self-defense the Empty Children.

They feel no pain; actually they barely feel any sensation at all. It is unknown if they feel emotions, but those who use them don’t tend to care about that. Edrea certainly doesn’t. Since they are undead, they don’t bleed. They are no stronger than normal children, but very hard to destroy.

The process to make an Empty Child can only be done with a relatively fresh and intact corpse (the preservation takes care of that), and the necromancer must be able to bind a soul to it (not necessarily the one that belonged to the body) to make it intelligent. Only Edrea currently knows the secret of creating them, and is still refining the process. For some reason, she’s only managed to create Empty Children; attempts to use the same process with adults have not ended well.

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The line of pale children followed their schoolmistress silently and obediently, not even reacting to the frantic barking of the neighborhood dogs. Their school uniforms were bright and clean; their unblinking eyes so large and beautiful.

As they filed past a harried clerk, the impatient man rudely shoved one of the silent children out of his way. Slamming into a lamp post, the girl gave not a sound, quickly rejoining her class. In moments they were gone.

No one noticed the gleaming glass eye left behind in the gutter, so bright, so beautiful.

I don't see the using of one of these to replace a beloved child who died a natruel death to be all that evil-some parents might have their child's body reanimated in this way. The making of them is evil however, as is using them for crime.

Hmmm... if they really never speak (a suspicious trait in itself), how do they pass on what they spied? Another important question is, how do they respond to sunlight, and other stimuli known to harm undead?

Suitably chilling, but there is indeed something missing. Good sub otherwise.

I do like the set. So you get bonus for having an expanded submission that way.

It would be interesting if they could speak, but only when told to do so and to say certain words.

"Tonia, say you are sorry to Mrs Butcher"
"Sorry Mrs Butcher".

If you are clever, who would ever know?

"I am on an errand for my mommy."

The possibilities are endless.

Tell the Guard who asks you what you are doing there, you are delivering the Papers that were requested.
"What are you doing here page?"
"Delivering the papers that were requested"
"Right, go ahead. "

Sure it might be caught up, but it will clear you in a variety of ways.

I could see many a man who needs a "perfect family" for political reasons or as a cover to buy one. I am sure that an older child of some comliness could be procured to pose as a wife. Thus you could appear to have a very shy and withdrawn family. Since they don't like public life, they stay home most of the time.

That way he appears to be perfectly above board and normal. Of course anyone willing to buy an undead family will not be.

I am new to the page and haven't read one of yours yet, but after reading this I can't wait to do so again. I like the idea of slipping Zombies into society for evil purposes. Undead children always creepy. I am also posting to bring this up again cause I think a certain Punkcasher would like this.

Freetext

In a high canyon in the mountains, the players find a skeleton in a cage suspended from a pole. A few miles further, they find another, and a third contains a partially rotten corpse. The fourth contains a living man who looks as if he hasn't eaten in days. Turns out to be the local way of punishing criminals.